It’s rankings week at FutureSox! Our full midseason top 30 White Sox prospects list is out.
In addition to our regular content, some of our writers who participated in ranking the prospects (James Fox, Mike Rankin, Dan Santaromita, Steve Hasman, Sean Williams and Jasper Roos) will each release their individual top 30 lists to Patrons throughout the week!
1. Luis Robert
2. Andrew Vaughn
3. Michael Kopech
4. Nick Madrigal
5. Jared Kelley
I believe the players listed at one through four here are self explanatory. The fifth slot was a toss up for me between Jared Kelley and Garrett Crochet. A case could be made for either player in this position and I’d have no qualms about it. In the end, I went with Kelley at five because coming into the draft Kelley was the higher ranked prospect, albeit in the most risky demographic for draft prospects. Kelley’s stuff is on par with Crochet’s, and the former has had less durability issues than the latter.
6. Garrett Crochet
7. Dane Dunning
8. Jonathan Stiever
9. Matthew Thompson
10. Andrew Dalquist
Crochet, the White Sox first round pick in 2020, slotting in at six was a layup, especially after slotting Kelley in at five. I know that Jonathan Stiever had the helium from 2019, but slotting Dane Dunning at seven was an easy decision for me. Dunning was a top 100 prospect (prior to his injury) and pitched with success in the upper minors. We’ve even seen brief flashes of how Dunning’s stuff has played at the major league level. Thompson and Dalquist round out the top ten due, as both are projectable arms that were highly thought of during the 2019 draft and are now getting valuable reps in Schaumburg.
11. Micker Adolfo
12. Blake Rutherford
13. Luis Gonzalez
14. Jimmy Lambert
15. Codi Heuer
We’ve finally made it to the batch of upper minors outfielders! Micker Adolfo ranks 11th for me because his power is real and had a fantastic arm, but it will be interesting to see if he still has the same arm strength post-surgery. Blake Rutherford checks in at 12 because while both he and Luis Gonzalez saw struggles in Birmingham last year, Rutherford did end up with the higher numbers on the offensive side and is also around a year and a half younger than Gonzalez. Gonzalez is the better defender, but I went with the upside play on the bat here. On a side note, at the alternate site in Schaumburg Rutherford looked bigger and seemed to be hitting the ball with more authority.
Jimmy Lambert and Codi Heuer round out the top 15 as we’ve seen both players make their major league debuts in 2020. Although Lambert is now injured, he pairs a rising fastball with a 12-6 curveball that played well out of the bullpen, and his slider and change are also considered to be average offerings. After being drafted and moved to the bullpen full-time in 2019, Heuer’s fastball/slider combination has propelled him to earn some high-leverage appearances for the White Sox this season. It’s easy to see why Heuer was a fast mover throughout the system, and it appears the White Sox may have developed a late-inning gem from the former Wichita State starter.
16. Gavin Sheets
17. Yolbert Sanchez
18. Zack Burdi
19. Jake Burger
20. Bryce Bush
Gavin Sheets was a puzzling omission from the alternate site camp for me. After a slow start in Birmingham, Sheets rebounded to have a solid, but unspectacular, numbers at season’s end. The power is there in his swing, it just hasn’t been fully tapped into yet by the big lefty. Yolbert Sanchez is tough to assess, as he was the top get from the 2019 international class for the White Sox. After spending his first season in the DSL and with the minor league season being cancelled, the 23-year-old glove-first shortstop loses out on some valuable development time. As it stands right now, Sanchez’s glove will certainly play at the major league level, the progression with the bat is the big question mark.
Zack Burdi has come back in 2020 fully healthy for the first time since his draft year in 2016 and made his debut for the White Sox in 2020. After watching a video on the internet and tweaking some of his mechanics, his fastball/slider combo has shown flashes of success. Jake Burger is finally healthy again after his Achilles’ injuries. The 2017 first-rounder had a brief stint in the CarShield Collegiate League and is now with the alternate site camp getting further reps. Burger’s bat has looked good during camp and he’s moving well in the field. A position change may be in the future plans, but having Burger back in the fold is a welcome sign for the farm system and the organization.
Bryce Bush’s 2019 was a struggle, but he’s a raw player that did show flashes that made him such an intriguing and exciting prospect in 2018. Success with the bat is vital considering his move to the outfield and some refinement is surely needed.
21. Konnor Pilkington
22. Benyamin Bailey
23. James Beard
24. Jose Rodriguez
25. DJ Gladney
Konnor Pilkington has been a mixed bag in his White Sox tenure. The 23-year-old lefty struggled with inconsistent stuff after a promotion to Winston-Salem. I love what Benyamin Bailey did for the DSL Sox in 2019. The Panamanian has a large frame, solid speed and showed an excellent eye at the plate. James Beard has legitimate 80-grade speed, something that can’t be taught. He’s raw with the bat so that could take some time to develop, but he has the potential to be a difference maker on the defensive side of the ball.
Similar to Bailey, Jose Rodriguez is another player that I’m higher on than most. As an 18-year-old, the shortstop lead the AZL Sox in HRs, had an .834 OPS and had a 121 wRC+ in his first taste of stateside ball. DJ Gladney is a 2019 draftee with big pop. The swing and miss in his game needs to be ironed out but has a big, projectable frame.
26. Bryan Ramos
27. Tyler Johnson
28. Bernardo Flores
29. Matt Foster
30. Jefferson Mendoza
Bryan Ramos showed well as a 17-year-old for the AZL Sox in 2019 and gained some helium from some publications. The White Sox tried the young Cuban out at second during instructional leagues, which is intriguing to get a potential power bat at the position.
Injury derailed a portion of Tyler Johnson’s 2019 season, but showed well in his return and will need to keep that up as he’s Rule 5 eligible this year.
Upon review, I think I have Bernardo Flores too low on this list. While his stuff may not be off the charts, the lefty has good control and has pitched well in Birmingham the last couple seasons. He’s a ground ball pitcher that profiles as a backend starter.
Matt Foster has played a huge role in the success of the 2020 White Sox thus far. His fastball/changeup combination has made him one of the more dependable arms in the bullpen. The former 20th round pick has been a fabulous success story for the White Sox scouting and development crew.
Originally, Danny Mendick slotted in at number 30 for me. Considering he graduated on Monday, Jefferson Mendoza slides into his place. Mendoza is an excellent defensive catcher that struggled with the bat in his first taste of pro ball, but really turned a corner in 2019. The 2017 international signing hit to a .305/.391/.484 triple slash with a 141 wRC+.